The things I love and hate about Austria
Reasons why Austria is frustrating/annoying/makes me miss America:
1. The Post Office. I'm not a huge fan of the American one either, but the Austrian one makes me want to wave the star spangled banner and scream "God Bless the USA!" Seriously. My first major beef with the Austrian post is that all their workers are crabby and unhelpful. I think they must get special training. When I tried to mail a package home for Christmas, I didn't know what size box I needed, so I asked the postal worker if I could try the different sizes before I bought a box. He was not pleased, and I think only allowed me to do so because I refused to give him money and walked away with the box. Once I had things all packed up, had bought the box, and written an address on it, he took one look and said, "Oh, you're sending this to America? We can't do that."
"What do you mean, you can't send it?"
"As of this week we have a law that prevents us from sending packages heavier than 2 kilos to the US."
"Is there any way I can send this package?"
"No."
"Do you know of another place that might send it?"
"No."
So not only are they unhelpful, they are also incapable of doing their job, which is to SEND THINGS PLACES. What sort of law says you can't send anything heavier than 2 kilos to America? And why would you start enforcing it a week before Christmas?
Another problem with the post office arose this week, when I was trying to mail some cards to the US and was hoping to speed up the delivery a bit. It costs me about $2.50 to send a letter (or a postcard) in the first place, but I figured I could shell out a couple extra Euros to make sure the cards got there on time. I figured out which post office near me was open on Saturday (most aren't), and headed over in the morning, since they're only open until noon. Not that they do any mail service on Saturday; they seem to be open for the sole purpose of selling stamps. I asked if they offered an expedited service that would get my letter to the US by Friday.
"Yes. It will cost 46 Euro."
If I'm going to pay someone 46 Euro to deliver a letter, it had better get there the same day I sent it and be delivered by a sexy man with no shirt who sings. Yeesh.
2. The lack of vanilla extract. And cheddar cheese, marshmallows, and condensed cream of mushroom soup... Generally I can find most of the food items I want, either at a grocery store, Bobby's overpriced yet glorious British food store, the Naschmarkt, or one of the Asian grocery stores near the Naschmarkt. Of course I can find things like cheddar cheese (expensive, comes in tiny blocks) and occasionally even American style marshmallows, but others remain elusive. Vanilla extract simply does not exist here. Neither does brown sugar. Cooking can be frustrating. Luckily though, most recipes are adaptable, and I've learned to be more creative in my cooking.
3. The bureaucracy. It's a mess of people who sit in their offices three hours a day and, like the postal workers, are unhelpful, have no useful knowledge, and take more of your money than they should. Just ask anyone who's ever applied for a residency permit.
4. The school system. I know, I probably shouldn't say that considering the source of my employment. I do generally enjoy my job, but teaching in this system for a year has left me convinced that I would never want to send my child to an Austrian school. My school, at least, seems to have the bureaucratic problem of no one knowing who exactly is in charge of what, and therefore no one ever taking responsibility for anything. My school had no cell phone policy until this spring. I spent last semester trying to deter my students from playing on their smart phones under their desks. Classes are also rescheduled fairly often without the teachers knowing, and teachers are often unaware that they're supposed to be substituting. But maybe that's just my school.
In general though, I don't like that the Austrian school system starts tracking kids at age 10. They split them into different types of schools based on what their parents and teachers think they should do in life. The kids have some say, of course, but when I was ten I had no idea what I wanted to be. I still don't, but that's another matter. The Austrian system benefits the people who already have it made. The disadvantaged stay that way, because the system expects them to and doesn't support any higher aims.
I also think the system is too rigid--students have essentially no choice in the classes they take (English, for example, is a required subject. So even if it's your native language, you have to take it. Needless to say, these kids are bored out of their minds and occasionally disruptive). They also only have each subject three days a week, and are done with school at 1 in the afternoon. If not earlier. People think Americans are stupid? I asked a 7th class (juniors) to name some Canadian provinces, and one student hesitantly suggested Quebec. That was it. Granted, I can't name all the German Bundesländer, but I know more than one. And I know all of the Austrian ones. And did I mention I work at what is supposedly one of the best schools in a country that requires the study of geography?
Yet another thing I'm not a fan of is the fact that the students stay put while the teachers move around. This is not only more stressful for the teachers but makes the students restless. They literally bounce off the walls.
Something I'm sort of torn on is the fact that they stay in the same class for eight years straight. Same people. It's nice in the sense that you get really close and become great friends with the 20-ish other people in your class, but terrible in the sense that it makes it a lot harder to branch out. Or be the new person.
5. People making out in public. This is something that the American in me will simply never accept. I really don't want to watch the couple sitting in front of me on the bus sticking their tongues down each other's throats. Nor do I want to see my students feeling each other up before class. This is perfectly normal in Austria. My teachers find it "cute."
6. Dog shit. For some reason, despite the numerous signs informing people that there is a 36 Euro fine for not cleaning up after your dog, the Viennese still leave it in the middle of the sidewalk. Which is strange, considering they're also so obsessively clean that they regularly sweep their sidewalks. Nevertheless, I find it's safer to watch the ground while walking.
7. Smoking. Over 40% of Austrians are regular smokers, and somewhere around 70% smoke occasionally. Austria has the highest percentage of female smokers in the world. Despite EU regulations that say restaurants and bars must have a separate non-smoking section, Austria has, for the most part, chosen to ignore this. Lack of legality is advertised with pride. And even the places that do have non-smoking sections, they tend to be small and in the back, so that you have to walk through a cloud of smoke to get to it. It's also nearly impossible to wait at a bus stop without sitting in a cloud of smoke, and the streets are littered with cigarette butts (which no one bothers to stamp out).
Reasons why Austria is awesome:
1. Public transportation. You can get just about anywhere in this country on public transport. It might take you a while, if you're trying to get somewhere particularly remote, but there will definitely be a bus or a train going there at some point. Probably at least a couple times a day. It may not always be the most convenient way to get around (getting to school takes me 45-60 minutes, whereas in a car it would take about 20), but the sheer fact that it exists is awesome. I don't need a car. I could live here quite happily for many years without a car. When I first moved to Vienna, I was scared to use anything except the train, but now I love the buses and Straßenbahns too. I love that my Straßenbahn, the 38, runs later than most (until 12:40 AM). I love that the U-bahn runs all night on weekends, and that the night bus gets me home when I miss the last Straßenbahn. I love that once in a while somebody on the train or the bus decides to be friendly, and it makes my day every time. I love that the U4 and the U6 (closest to me) seem to be the least popular U-bahns for committing suicide. I love that I can get to Persenbeug for 20 Euro, thanks to my Vorteilscard. Basically, public transport rocks, and Austria probably has one of the best systems in the world.
2. The Wiener Staatsoper. One of the best opera houses in the world, 30 minutes from my house (on public transport!), that sells day-of, standing room tickets for 3 Euro. They also have a livecast screen outside, with chairs for those who want to sit and watch for free. How awesome is that? Even if you don't like opera, the experience is worth it. I've seen three operas this year (Die Zauberflöte, Anna Bolena, and Don Giovanni), the latter two of which were amazing. Anna Bolena starred Anna Netrebko, who is something of an up-and-coming Renee Fleming. I saw her live for 3 Euro. Is there anywhere else in the world that would be possible?
Aside from the Staatsoper, Vienna has a great music scene. Countless choirs (I'm in two of them!) and concerts of all sorts every night, many of which are reasonably priced and decent quality. Austria is proud of its musical heritage, and Vienna is continuing a fine tradition.
3. The Wiener Wald. The woods surrounding Vienna are full of paths and wineries, little villages and churches, and other gems. Also, accessible by public transport. It is a popular Viennese weekend activity to pack some food and take the whole family, or a group of friends, hiking in the Wiener Wald. You could probably live here for years and never take the same path twice. It's huge and beautiful, and lovingly preserved. Also, people seem more inclined to clean up their dog shit in the middle of the forest. Or maybe they just send them off the paths to do their business.
4. The Naschmarkt. The market of all things good in Vienna. Mostly run by immigrants, who speak at you in English and German simultaneously until you establish a language of preference. They sell tasty things from all over the world, and it's the place to go if you can't find something in a grocery store. One stall has every type of vinegar imaginable, there's an amazing chocolate store, a cheese shop, an organic baker, and the best and cheapest food in Vienna.
On a related note, I think it's awesome that organic food is really easy to find and about the same price as everything else. There are markets with local produce all over the city, and it's so much cheaper than in grocery stores. Tofu was a bit of a challenge at first, but now I've found a lovely little organic vegetarian store near me it's no problem. They gave me a free bottle of lotion today as an apology for the people in front of me taking ages to check out.
5. Gelato. It is tasty and abundant. 'nuff said. Same goes for chocolate.
6. Cafe culture. The Viennese in particular love their cafes. They have lots of them, with cakes and teas and coffees and other tasty treats. Some of the most famous are Cafe Central, Demel, and Cafe Landtmann. There's also the Hotel Sacher, home of the famous Sachertorte. Countless famous people have hung out in Viennese cafes. People like Lenin and Hitler, but also Einstein, Freud, and Hugo von Hofmannsthal. In addition to the food and drink, Viennese cafes are very much about hanging out. Once you've ordered something, you're welcome to sit there for the next four hours or so, chatting with friends, reading a book, people watching, etc. No one will bother you. The waiters won't give you annoyed looks and try to make you leave. It's a laid back part of the culture. Even McDonald's has adapted, and has a classy little McCafe next door with comfy chairs and free wifi.
7. Dialect. Let's face it: Ösi Deutsch is awesome. I love that it's like a secret language, even among German speakers. Us non-natives feel a sense of accomplishment when it finally starts to make sense. And there's just something so charming about their unique words and phrases. Mistkübel. Marille. Oida. Ge!
I could go on (with both lists), but I will digress while they're nice and even and before this gets to long. Just some reflections after my second year living in Austria. I'm sure things will have changed again by this time next year!
1. The Post Office. I'm not a huge fan of the American one either, but the Austrian one makes me want to wave the star spangled banner and scream "God Bless the USA!" Seriously. My first major beef with the Austrian post is that all their workers are crabby and unhelpful. I think they must get special training. When I tried to mail a package home for Christmas, I didn't know what size box I needed, so I asked the postal worker if I could try the different sizes before I bought a box. He was not pleased, and I think only allowed me to do so because I refused to give him money and walked away with the box. Once I had things all packed up, had bought the box, and written an address on it, he took one look and said, "Oh, you're sending this to America? We can't do that."
"What do you mean, you can't send it?"
"As of this week we have a law that prevents us from sending packages heavier than 2 kilos to the US."
"Is there any way I can send this package?"
"No."
"Do you know of another place that might send it?"
"No."
So not only are they unhelpful, they are also incapable of doing their job, which is to SEND THINGS PLACES. What sort of law says you can't send anything heavier than 2 kilos to America? And why would you start enforcing it a week before Christmas?
Another problem with the post office arose this week, when I was trying to mail some cards to the US and was hoping to speed up the delivery a bit. It costs me about $2.50 to send a letter (or a postcard) in the first place, but I figured I could shell out a couple extra Euros to make sure the cards got there on time. I figured out which post office near me was open on Saturday (most aren't), and headed over in the morning, since they're only open until noon. Not that they do any mail service on Saturday; they seem to be open for the sole purpose of selling stamps. I asked if they offered an expedited service that would get my letter to the US by Friday.
"Yes. It will cost 46 Euro."
If I'm going to pay someone 46 Euro to deliver a letter, it had better get there the same day I sent it and be delivered by a sexy man with no shirt who sings. Yeesh.
2. The lack of vanilla extract. And cheddar cheese, marshmallows, and condensed cream of mushroom soup... Generally I can find most of the food items I want, either at a grocery store, Bobby's overpriced yet glorious British food store, the Naschmarkt, or one of the Asian grocery stores near the Naschmarkt. Of course I can find things like cheddar cheese (expensive, comes in tiny blocks) and occasionally even American style marshmallows, but others remain elusive. Vanilla extract simply does not exist here. Neither does brown sugar. Cooking can be frustrating. Luckily though, most recipes are adaptable, and I've learned to be more creative in my cooking.
3. The bureaucracy. It's a mess of people who sit in their offices three hours a day and, like the postal workers, are unhelpful, have no useful knowledge, and take more of your money than they should. Just ask anyone who's ever applied for a residency permit.
4. The school system. I know, I probably shouldn't say that considering the source of my employment. I do generally enjoy my job, but teaching in this system for a year has left me convinced that I would never want to send my child to an Austrian school. My school, at least, seems to have the bureaucratic problem of no one knowing who exactly is in charge of what, and therefore no one ever taking responsibility for anything. My school had no cell phone policy until this spring. I spent last semester trying to deter my students from playing on their smart phones under their desks. Classes are also rescheduled fairly often without the teachers knowing, and teachers are often unaware that they're supposed to be substituting. But maybe that's just my school.
In general though, I don't like that the Austrian school system starts tracking kids at age 10. They split them into different types of schools based on what their parents and teachers think they should do in life. The kids have some say, of course, but when I was ten I had no idea what I wanted to be. I still don't, but that's another matter. The Austrian system benefits the people who already have it made. The disadvantaged stay that way, because the system expects them to and doesn't support any higher aims.
I also think the system is too rigid--students have essentially no choice in the classes they take (English, for example, is a required subject. So even if it's your native language, you have to take it. Needless to say, these kids are bored out of their minds and occasionally disruptive). They also only have each subject three days a week, and are done with school at 1 in the afternoon. If not earlier. People think Americans are stupid? I asked a 7th class (juniors) to name some Canadian provinces, and one student hesitantly suggested Quebec. That was it. Granted, I can't name all the German Bundesländer, but I know more than one. And I know all of the Austrian ones. And did I mention I work at what is supposedly one of the best schools in a country that requires the study of geography?
Yet another thing I'm not a fan of is the fact that the students stay put while the teachers move around. This is not only more stressful for the teachers but makes the students restless. They literally bounce off the walls.
Something I'm sort of torn on is the fact that they stay in the same class for eight years straight. Same people. It's nice in the sense that you get really close and become great friends with the 20-ish other people in your class, but terrible in the sense that it makes it a lot harder to branch out. Or be the new person.
5. People making out in public. This is something that the American in me will simply never accept. I really don't want to watch the couple sitting in front of me on the bus sticking their tongues down each other's throats. Nor do I want to see my students feeling each other up before class. This is perfectly normal in Austria. My teachers find it "cute."
6. Dog shit. For some reason, despite the numerous signs informing people that there is a 36 Euro fine for not cleaning up after your dog, the Viennese still leave it in the middle of the sidewalk. Which is strange, considering they're also so obsessively clean that they regularly sweep their sidewalks. Nevertheless, I find it's safer to watch the ground while walking.
7. Smoking. Over 40% of Austrians are regular smokers, and somewhere around 70% smoke occasionally. Austria has the highest percentage of female smokers in the world. Despite EU regulations that say restaurants and bars must have a separate non-smoking section, Austria has, for the most part, chosen to ignore this. Lack of legality is advertised with pride. And even the places that do have non-smoking sections, they tend to be small and in the back, so that you have to walk through a cloud of smoke to get to it. It's also nearly impossible to wait at a bus stop without sitting in a cloud of smoke, and the streets are littered with cigarette butts (which no one bothers to stamp out).
Reasons why Austria is awesome:
1. Public transportation. You can get just about anywhere in this country on public transport. It might take you a while, if you're trying to get somewhere particularly remote, but there will definitely be a bus or a train going there at some point. Probably at least a couple times a day. It may not always be the most convenient way to get around (getting to school takes me 45-60 minutes, whereas in a car it would take about 20), but the sheer fact that it exists is awesome. I don't need a car. I could live here quite happily for many years without a car. When I first moved to Vienna, I was scared to use anything except the train, but now I love the buses and Straßenbahns too. I love that my Straßenbahn, the 38, runs later than most (until 12:40 AM). I love that the U-bahn runs all night on weekends, and that the night bus gets me home when I miss the last Straßenbahn. I love that once in a while somebody on the train or the bus decides to be friendly, and it makes my day every time. I love that the U4 and the U6 (closest to me) seem to be the least popular U-bahns for committing suicide. I love that I can get to Persenbeug for 20 Euro, thanks to my Vorteilscard. Basically, public transport rocks, and Austria probably has one of the best systems in the world.
2. The Wiener Staatsoper. One of the best opera houses in the world, 30 minutes from my house (on public transport!), that sells day-of, standing room tickets for 3 Euro. They also have a livecast screen outside, with chairs for those who want to sit and watch for free. How awesome is that? Even if you don't like opera, the experience is worth it. I've seen three operas this year (Die Zauberflöte, Anna Bolena, and Don Giovanni), the latter two of which were amazing. Anna Bolena starred Anna Netrebko, who is something of an up-and-coming Renee Fleming. I saw her live for 3 Euro. Is there anywhere else in the world that would be possible?
Aside from the Staatsoper, Vienna has a great music scene. Countless choirs (I'm in two of them!) and concerts of all sorts every night, many of which are reasonably priced and decent quality. Austria is proud of its musical heritage, and Vienna is continuing a fine tradition.
3. The Wiener Wald. The woods surrounding Vienna are full of paths and wineries, little villages and churches, and other gems. Also, accessible by public transport. It is a popular Viennese weekend activity to pack some food and take the whole family, or a group of friends, hiking in the Wiener Wald. You could probably live here for years and never take the same path twice. It's huge and beautiful, and lovingly preserved. Also, people seem more inclined to clean up their dog shit in the middle of the forest. Or maybe they just send them off the paths to do their business.
4. The Naschmarkt. The market of all things good in Vienna. Mostly run by immigrants, who speak at you in English and German simultaneously until you establish a language of preference. They sell tasty things from all over the world, and it's the place to go if you can't find something in a grocery store. One stall has every type of vinegar imaginable, there's an amazing chocolate store, a cheese shop, an organic baker, and the best and cheapest food in Vienna.
On a related note, I think it's awesome that organic food is really easy to find and about the same price as everything else. There are markets with local produce all over the city, and it's so much cheaper than in grocery stores. Tofu was a bit of a challenge at first, but now I've found a lovely little organic vegetarian store near me it's no problem. They gave me a free bottle of lotion today as an apology for the people in front of me taking ages to check out.
5. Gelato. It is tasty and abundant. 'nuff said. Same goes for chocolate.
6. Cafe culture. The Viennese in particular love their cafes. They have lots of them, with cakes and teas and coffees and other tasty treats. Some of the most famous are Cafe Central, Demel, and Cafe Landtmann. There's also the Hotel Sacher, home of the famous Sachertorte. Countless famous people have hung out in Viennese cafes. People like Lenin and Hitler, but also Einstein, Freud, and Hugo von Hofmannsthal. In addition to the food and drink, Viennese cafes are very much about hanging out. Once you've ordered something, you're welcome to sit there for the next four hours or so, chatting with friends, reading a book, people watching, etc. No one will bother you. The waiters won't give you annoyed looks and try to make you leave. It's a laid back part of the culture. Even McDonald's has adapted, and has a classy little McCafe next door with comfy chairs and free wifi.
7. Dialect. Let's face it: Ösi Deutsch is awesome. I love that it's like a secret language, even among German speakers. Us non-natives feel a sense of accomplishment when it finally starts to make sense. And there's just something so charming about their unique words and phrases. Mistkübel. Marille. Oida. Ge!
I could go on (with both lists), but I will digress while they're nice and even and before this gets to long. Just some reflections after my second year living in Austria. I'm sure things will have changed again by this time next year!